Eating Our Way Through Montreal

I have had the luxury of being at home and available to my children every day. I’ve tucked them into bed each night and been awoken by them each morning. Aside from giving birth to my second child, I haven’t spent a single night away from them until recently. I realize it is a beautiful blessing, especially while they are still little, and I try not to take it lightly for I also know it’s a burden my sweet Chief shoulders for us.

After almost four years of changing diapers, cooking meals, cleaning the house, folding laundry, chasing kids, walking the dog, and generally taking care of business, I was ready for a break! So for my 40th birthday this year, my sweet Chief gave me an awesome gift: an extended weekend trip to Montreal with my girlfriends!

So pour yourself a cup of coffee and read on, living vicariously through our extraordinary eating exploits! And if you’re planning a trip to Montreal, here’s a handy list of great places to eat, too!

My trip started with a quick flight to NYC, where I met up with two good friends. In a turbocharged MINI Cooper Countryman, we drove an easy three hours out of the city. Let me tell you, that car is loads of fun to drive! It is so quick on the uptake and responsive on its steering that it corners like its on rails. It is surprisingly spacious, too. With little traffic on the roads, speeding came easy and I felt like I was in the movie, The Italian Job.

1st STOP // MIO POSTO

We split the drive to Montreal with an overnighter in Saratoga Springs, where we enjoyed dinner at a cozy Italian bistro. I guess you can call us, “foodies” {perhaps more ardent than refined}, as we’re not so big into partying, but are definitely down for good meals, quality service and lively conversation. Mio Posto set the pace for an excellent eating extravaganza.

Of special note was the black truffle burrata with fresh figs, heirloom tomatoes, prosciutto and arugula. A mildly sweet vincotto was drizzled on top that brought all the flavors of the salad together in a beautiful medley. We ordered only one to share, along with a layered eggplant and cheese appetizer that sadly paled in comparison. When the dish was finished, we didn’t want to eat anything else in order to savor the flavor! It truly was divine.

Dinner did go on, however, and we enjoyed grilled lamb chops, cherry pepper pork chops and maple leaf farms duck breast for entrees. Delicious. I was really impressed with the lentil ragu. Although I’m not a huge fan of panna cotta, we ordered it for dessert based on our server’s recommendation, and boy were we happy we did! It was cherry panna cotta, and it was pure heaven in a spoon. Perfect consistency, delightful flavor.

Great customer service combined with good food and Mio Posto is forever on my list of places to frequent. We were so infatuated with the black truffle burrata and cherry panna cotta that we stopped by again on the way back from Montreal — this time, we each had our own!

2nd STOP // MODAVIE

This bustling bistro on the corner of Rue Saint Paul and Rue Saint Laurent in Old Montreal is truly a gem. With an extensive wine list, excellent service, delicious food and live jazz, it was the perfect place to catch up after six years apart and enjoy our first night in Montreal.

3rd STOP // CHEZ CORA

If you find yourself in Canada, be sure to stop by this popular breakfast spot — it’s kind of like an IHOP in the US, but better. We took a leisurely walk from our downtown hotel to the nearest Chez Cora and worked up a “little” appetite as evidenced below.

Yes, there were only three of us. Yes, we ate all of this, less one black bean breakfast burrito. Yes, it was satisfying. I mean, look at this smooth and creamy hollandaise sauce over these Mushroom and Brie Eggs Ben et Dictine.

By far, our favorite at Chez Cora was this waffle with a layer of custard cream and a mountain of fresh fruit. Wow.

Needless to say, we skipped lunch this day, but after strolling through Montreal’s Botanical Gardens in the afternoon and relaxing with a massage back at our hotel, we were more than ready for dinner at our next stop.

4th STOP // LE CLUB CHASSE ET PÊCHE

Also in Old Montreal, Le Club Chasse et Pêche is a trendy restaurant inconspicuously located on Rue Saint Claude. {Our Uber car dropped us off at the front door, otherwise we may well have missed it.} Its menu is true to the translation of its name and is focused on hunting and fishing cuisine. The decor also struck me as a modern hunting lodge with leather armchairs, dark wallpaper and an interesting collection of cows {even in the bathroom}.

I started with Prince Edward Island oysters, which were served with a red wine reduction and shallots rather than the usual American cocktail sauce and horseradish. I like a little punch of flavor to my oysters, and I was not the least bit disappointed by this new dressing. The oysters were also served on small piles of sea salt, which was a nice touch when I added a pinch to each oyster. I washed them down with a cold pint of some Canadian microbrew. I failed to take a picture of the oysters, but I did manage to capture our dinner.

5th STOP // OLD MONTREAL FOOD TOUR

As if we hadn’t indulged our appetites enough, we ended our extended weekend with a two-hour walking tour through the historic district of Old Montreal that included five tastings along the way. We had an awesome guide, who shared her enthusiasm about Montreal history and architecture along with her passion for good food.

Our first tasting was a delicious duck and pork pate at Marche De La Villette, a charming French bistro serving assorted sliced meats, cheeses and traditional French fare. A half pound of duck pate and two baguettes came home with us.

Tasting two was just across the street at a lovely Portuguese market, Cantinho de Lisboa, where I had my first taste of natas — Portuguese custard tarts. These bite-sized cups of flaky crust are filled with a creamy custard center. One was not enough, and so a few came home with us. {Do you sense a theme here?}

Who doesn’t love a patisserie?! Maison Christian Faure was our next stop. I mean, goodness, just look at this delicious display below.

This shop offered a tasting of its macaroons, which they make with almond instead of coconut flavor. We were neither impressed nor appalled by the macaroons, but we bought homemade jams, strawberry shortcake, flavored marshmallows and more to make up for it.

On to something more savory for our fourth tasting… a Montreal classic smoked meat sandwich. Whoa, Montreal’s got the meats! With a side of spicy brown mustard, this sandwich was tasty.

We ended our food tour with maple-flavored ice cream from Canadian Maple Delights. Not just a condiment for pancakes, maple syrup is widely used in Montreal to flavor baked goods and even sweeten salad dressings. I loved that the sweets weren’t super sweet; perhaps this is why!

And if you know anything about us by now, you know we were not full off of five bites of food over two hours of walking, and so we had lunch at a nearby tavern, recommended by our guide, where we could enjoy another Montreal classic, poutine.

Poutine doesn’t really photograph well in my opinion, but it is comfort food at its finest. Crispy french fries are topped with cheddar cheese curds {that squeak when you bite into them!} and a decadent gravy. Mmm, good!

And to mark this eating extravaganza to a close, we enjoyed one of the the finest almond croissants from Olive + Gourmando, also thanks to our guide’s recommendation.

So yes, we ate a LOT in Montreal. We also did a few fun, touristy things while we were killing time waiting for the next opportunity to eat. You can read all about those adventures next! — v.